


The Discovery

by MouseFantoms



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, One Shot, Ray finding out about the boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29553729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MouseFantoms/pseuds/MouseFantoms
Summary: As Julie and Luke are having a piano teaching lesson their hands brush against each other. They realize they can indeed touch now. No more Luke phasing through Julie's hand. With this new discovery, comes Luke walking Julie to her door after rehearsal's. However, someone catches onto the continuous sight of his daughter holding hands with this sleeveless boy in a beanie at the end of his driveway. It's only when he goes into the garage to talk to his daughter when he starts getting some answers. Including about the boy he constantly sees holding his daughter's hands.
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters, Carlos Molina & Julie Molina & Ray Molina, Julie Molina & Luke Patterson, Julie Molina & Ray Molina, Ray Molina & Aunt Victoria, Ray Molina & Luke Patterson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	The Discovery

In order to halt Luke from walking away Julie said the one thing she knew would get his attention.

“Come on… I can’t do this without you.”

He sighed. “…that is not fair.”

He had prefaced Julie before by saying how he would probably be terrible at playing piano. This was completely Alex and Reggie’s doing.

It had started the other day when the band was practicing. Alex made a tease at Luke about how he could have messed up a simple measure of music.

“Alright fine. You try!” He offered up his guitar in response.

He looked skeptical at the guitar. “You know how long it’s been since I’ve touched that.”

“Hey, I messed up too.” Reggie said to help Luke feel better.

“Thanks Reg.” He patted him on the back appreciated the sincerment.

“Yeah Luke,” Julie joined in on Alex’s teasing, “it’s not that difficult.”

“Then you try.” He once again offered up his guitar as a response.

She sat silent at the keyboard. “I would but I… I don’t know how.”

“Oh!” Reggie perked up. “It’s not too bad once you learn. Maybe you and I could-”

He was interrupted by hearing Alex’s obviously real cough. He looked and saw that he was looking between Julie and Luke and that’s when Reggie got the hint.

“Hey! Maybe Luke can teach you.”

“Yeah I guess if you want.”

“Sure.” She agreed. “I could teach you piano too.”

“That sounds like a fantastic idea.” Alex looked to Luke for him to take the offer.

“Sounds like a plan.” He smiled.

Now, the two were in the studio having their “learning-the-other’s-instrument” session. Luke’s piano learning had started but he became upset with himself and had gotten up from the piano bench in frustration.

“Come on.” She scooted to her left side, patting the bench for him to come sit. “Do you think I did good when I first played?”

“Well yeah,” he joined her back at the piano, “because you’re Julie fricken Molina.”

She rolled her eyes but appreciated the compliment. Any chance he had, he never missed the opportunity to compliment her.

“I told you that if you just give it some time you’ll get it. Now which one is A?” She started the teaching process by going over all the notes. Then, on her end of the piano, she played a simple pattern of notes and then had him replicate it on his end.

“Good!” She congratulated whenever he replicated the pattern right.

It didn’t take that long for the two to get lost in the music. The simple pattern of notes turned into a long pattern but Luke was still doing as told by replicating it on his end. She, out of habit, placed both hands on the piano.

She began playing and moving her hands down towards the right. He did the same. She was too busy watching her hands that she didn’t even realize she had moved so far down that she bumped into his hand. The piano went silent as the two realized their hands had met.

They shared a look into each other’s eyes attached with a smile. The two just looking sincerely at each other. Then, as if the thought entered their minds at the same time, their expressions turned to realization. Looking at their hands, back to each other, then their hands. Julie pulled her hand away suddenly. He did the same once she did.

“Did- we just- I could-“ She couldn’t find the words.

“I- I felt alive. I could- OWW!” He exclaimed in response to Julie jabbing him in the shoulder. “What was that for?!” He rubbed the spot he was now wounded in.

“You could feel that.” she said mesmerized.

“Yeah… I could.” He swallowed. “There could have been so many other ways to test it but no instead you had to cause injury.”

“Oh it was not that- OWW! HEY!”

“See?” He asked once also jabbing her in the arm.

This was either a great discovery or a bad one, guess it would depend on the day.

~~~

Of course they had to tell the boys of their new discovery. The band had just finished practicing.

“That was awesome!” Luke went to do the usually fist bumps to his band mates. He went to Alex and Reggie (as per usually) but then they watched as he went over to Julie. They watched as Julie returned his fist bump. Julie and Luke turned to them for a reaction.

“Did-” Alex cut himself off from being confused.

“Did you just…” Reggie picked up walking cautiously to Julie. Julie suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her torso into a bear hug. “WE CAN TOUCH NOW!” He gasped practically bouncing up and down. She patted his arm letting him know she returned the hug.

“Reggie you’re kinda squeezing a lot there.”

“Right!” He released her. “Sorry, just excited.”

Julie gave a look to Alex, excepting him to also test if the claim was true. He stood up from his drums and made his way to her. In order to test it he gave her a simple poke on the arm.

“Oh hey, we can.”

“See Julie thats how you test it out. Not by causing injury!”

She rolled her eyes at Luke. The bassist and drummer got the impression that something had to have happened during learning the other’s instrument. They decided not to question but instead be happy of this little big discovery.

~~~

“You did awesome!” Luke repeated the phrase Julie heard just about on an everyday basis.

“Would you stop?” She asked with a laugh.

“Just want you to know how talented you are.” He looked down at the open hand he held out.

“It’s hard not to when you tell me everyday.” She smiled taking his hand. They stood at the beginning of the pathway to Julie’s front door, talking and holding hands.

She didn’t know why he insisted on walking her to her door even though the studio and it were so close by. Despite Alex’s teases of the boy’s kind gesture every time, he still would walk with her every time after the band would call it a day with practicing. Ever since the discovery, they never let her forget it. Although it was nice knowing that now there wouldn’t be any awkward ‘trying to hold hands but passing through instead’ moments.

Finally after some time, Julie had to give him the usual news that she had to go in for dinner. Which was cemented when Carlos opened the door.

“You’ll see each other tomorrow.” He rolled his eyes. “Just come in and eat.” He left the door open for her.

The pair chuckled and said their goodbye for the night. Julie came in and shut the door behind her and saw Carlos already sat at the table.

It was nice having at least someone in her family knowing about the boys. Of course, at the start Carlos was ever curious about them asking all kinds of questions. It wasn’t fun, however, when they couldn’t answer any of them because they themselves didn’t know the answer.

Julie saw her dad preparing the last of dinner in the kitchen and took her spot at the table.

~~~

“Thought you’d be here.” Alex said poofing in next to Reggie who was leaning against the top of the arm chair, where Ray sat in close proximity at the end of the couch. His knees bouncing from nerves.

“Yeah, how come you’re here? Willie busy?”

“No… he skated away after we hung out.” He corrected. “What’s his problem?”

“I don’t know, he’s been kinda like this the whole day.” He replied concerned.

“Ok I’m here.” the boys looked behind them to see Julie’s aunt come through the front door. “What was so important that you needed me to come over?” She joined him on the couch.

“Let’s say you have… suspicions.”

“Suspicions?”

“They could be nothing but they are suspicions.”

“What suspicions?”

“Suspicions of your child dating.”

Reggie whispered to Alex, “I think we’re intruding.”

“He’s probably talking about Carlos. Yeah we can-” Alex was interrupted when he heard Ray continue.

“I’ve just been seeing her hold hands with this boy before she comes in for dinner and I don’t know how to approach the conversation.”

“Before dinner?” Reggie said in realization who he was talking about.

“Hold hands?” Alex shared Reggie’s same realization.

“I’ve been trying to keep my space on it with her but it’s been a bit and I need to talk to her about it.” He asked for advice revolving around his teenager daughter.

“How does he even-”

“Don’t know but think we should tell them?” In a second Alex and Reggie poofed out and into the studio where Luke and Julie were.

“That’s not bad,” Luke said to Julie as they were at the piano together, “but I think was thinking something more like-“

“Sorry to interrupt!” Reggie said as him and Alex appeared at the side of the piano.

“Umm… this is new.” Julie said. They never would get interrupted during their writing sessions.

“Yeah… what’s up because we’re kind of in the middle of something.” He said as evident by the pencil he held and the journal that was open on the piano.

“Ray knows!” The pair looked confused and shocked at Alex’s quick statement. “Well, not about us. But he does know about Luke. But not the whole ghost-”

“Alex,” Luke stood up putting his hands on the blond’s shoulders, “take a breath, explain.”

He breathed in through his noise and began to explain. “Reggie and I overheard a conversation between Ray and Victoria. He wanted advice.”

“Advice?” Julie wondered.

“About his suspicions of… his daughter maybe dating.”

“Huh?” She asked.

“You are?” Luke asked at the same time.

“No! No I’m not!” She clearly answered.

“He’s apperently been seeing the hand holding before dinner.” Reggie finished for Alex.

“Wait how can-“

“Your guess is as good as ours. We just wanted to-”

“Julie.”

Her attention was caught to the studio doors behind opened.

“Dad!” She called. “What… are you doing here?”

“I want to talk to you.” He made his way over to the piano.

“Well at least we warned you.” Reggie said.

“About… what?” She asked even though she had a pretty good idea what this was about.

“You’ve been so busy lately with the band and everything, it seems like it’s been awhile since we’ve talked.”

“Sorry, we- I’ve,” she corrected herself immediately, “been having all these song ideas.”

He noticed the journal open on the piano. “Oh is this one-”

Luke, without thinking, closed it immediately once Ray tried to get a peek at what was written. Which got a scolding look from Julie.

“Did-” Ray said in confusion pointing to the now closed journal, “Did that just-”

“Could have been the wind.” She tried to play it off. “You know how the wind can be… being wind.”

He noticed that something was written on the cover, he tried to read what was written on it. Suddenly the journal, slid back on the piano and down to the bench landed next to Julie.

“Luk- Look the wind! That’s some very strong wind today.”

He gave a puzzled look. “Okay I came to talk to you about something else but clearly something else is going on.”

“What…?”

“Julie.” He folded his arms.

She sighed. “Ok…” she got up from the piano and walked passed him over to where the keyboard was still set up at.

The boys all exchanged looks to each other once picking up on what was about happeend. They filed to their respective instruments.

“Promise not freak out.” She readjusted the mic on the keyboard. “If you look around the room you’ll find that there is no equipment to project holograms.”

“…I guess.” Her dad did a small scan of the room and did in fact see no hologram projection equipment.

“I never told you because I didn’t want you to send me to Dr. Turner again.”

He raised an eyebrow wondering why she would think that. He saw her look to where the ladder that lead up to the loft was. The look was for… reasurance? She gave a nod and started to play the keys, her entrance of the song.

“Julie I don’t-” he was about to inform her that he didn’t need to hear a mini concert except was cut off when the boys’ enterance came. Right in front of him he saw the 3 boys from her band materialize. The sight made him jump.

He watched as Julie took the mic off it’s stand and go over to the middle of the boys. She jammed out with the guitarist and bassist while all their vocals blended together perfectly as a band. Once finishing the chorus she instructed them to continue playing.

“I think it’s time you properly meet the band.” She said as the boys played a soft beat in the background. She went from who was behind her by her right to left. “That’s Reggie, Alex and Luke.”

“Hi Ray!” Reggie smiled waving to the man.

“H-How?” He stuttered out.

“Remember how I came out screaming and you said it looked like I had seen a ghost? Well I saw three.”

“Musician spirits.” Alex corrected.

“That’s never gonna stick.” Luke turned his head to him.

“Maybe it will, you never know.”

“When I went to go through mom’s stuff I found a CD and decided to play it. When I did, that’s when these three showed up.”

“Yep and she’s been stuck with us ever since!” Reggie smiled.

She chuckled at what he said. “I’m the only one who can see them expect for when we play. They’re the ones who help me get back into in the music program.” She said sincerely to her dad.

“We’re originally from a band called Sunset Curve.” Luke explained. “In 1995, the night we were supposed to play the Orpheum, we ate some bad hot dogs.”

They realized that they should probably give him some time to process all the information that they told him.

“Sunset Curve…” Ray said after awhile, “why does that-“

“Trevor was their old band mate.” Julie helped.

“Also took all of Luke’s songs, said they were his, which he then got big and famous instead but yeah just gloss over that.” Alex added knowing that Julie probably didn’t want to get into it.

“…that explains the My Name is Luke song, thought it was different.”

“Yeah and my name is Luke. Sorry for closing the journal and moving it when you were trying to read what was in it.”

“So,” Ray turned to Julie, “this is why you’re in here all the time.” He always thought it was interesting the amount of time she would spend in the studio since he presumed it was just her.

“Luke and I write songs all the time. Plus, this is the only place where I can talk to them without it looking strange. Anywhere else it looks like I’m talking to air.”

“Well,” Reggie input, “technically- although maybe now we aren’t whenever we touch you.”

“Touch…” Ray remembered the original reason as to why he came into the studio in the first place. Suddenly, the boy in a beanie without sleeves loooked very familiar. Luke’s expression dropped once he saw Ray put it together.

“He knows.” Reggie felt Luke’s same feeling.

“Dad!” Julie came in between them once seeing her take a step towards the guitarist. “It’s not what you think! He’s a ghost.”

“Should I be offended?” He asked looking to his friends behind him. Which got him an elbow in the shoulder by Julie. “Oww!”

A puzzled expression came over Ray. “If he’s a ghost then how can you-”

“We found out a few weeks ago.” Alex started. “We can actually touch Julie now, some of us use that information more often than others.” Luke’s eyes went wide trying to tell him to shut up. “And apparently when we do, we can now be seen.”

“We don’t know if that’s how it works.” Reggie interjected.

“I assume that’s how it would be for all of us considering he was able to see Luke when they hold hands.”

“Wait how did you know that’s what I came out here to talk about?”

The two stayed silent.

“You heard my conversation with-”

“Only a little bit.” Reggie tried to make it sound less bad.

“…how often does that happen?” He looked to Julie wondering since she was the only one who could always see them.

“Whenever you’re home I… I’m around.” The bassist admitted.

“Oh… well…” Reggie was nervous for his reply, “next time you’re there just like me know.”

He smiled showing a sign that he understood.

“Now you-” Ray turned back to face Luke, who was currently cowering behind Julie.

“Dad like I told you before, it’s not what you think.”

“What else am I supposed to think when I see you holding hands with a boy at the end of our driveway before you come in for dinner?”

“…ok well when you put it like that-”

“I feel alive again whenever it happens.” Luke input. “Like when we play music but in a different way. It’s this-”

“Please do not get him started,” Alex rolled his eyes. “he’ll start going on his ‘I-love-Julie-Molina’ speech.” As soon as he said it he realized what it sounded like.

“Not like that!” Luke instantly corrected to save himself. “I mean if it’s fine with you if it could be like that because I mean I don’t have a problem with it I mean unless you do because then in that case then it’s-”

“Luke.” Julie said through her teeth to get him back on track.

“Right!” He remembered he had a point. “I have good intentions. Your daughter needs to remember how wicked talented she is. I promise…” he searched for a word to address him as, “sir.”

His eyes fell between all the boys. Luke, most nervous of all, could tell his eyes were kind and thankful. “This is going to take a bit to adjust to but I will.” He smiled which everyone else reflected. “I will be sure to tell your Tía that my assumption was just nothing so she doesn’t ask you about it.”

“You’re a lifesaver.” Julie laughed as her dad made his way to the door.

“Oh and boys,” his hand hovered over the door handle looking to them, “thank you.” He closed the doors behind him as he left.

He didn’t have to say what specifically but they already knew, well at least had a perfect guess. As the doors closed the low beat stopped as the boys stopped playing.

“I think that went well.” Alex said putting down his sticks.

“All things considered.” Reggie agreed.

“I didn’t get murdered so I classify that as a win.”

“…but you can’t-”

“You know what I mean.” Luke sighed cutting Reggie off.

“Yeah…” Julie turned behind her to face them, “I’d say that went better than expected.”

“…Is he normally like that whenever he sees you holding hands with anyone?” Luke asked to make himself feel better.

He noticed her head drop, “…I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t-”

“This is kinda the first time that it’s happened.”

“Oh, well I just assumed that it would have happened before considering how you’re-”

A loud sigh was heard from Alex.

“Alright, alright,” Luke stopped himself, “I won’t go on one of my ‘speeches’ as you call it. Like you don’t go on speeches about Willie?”

“That’s different. You guys ask about him.”

Reggie and her smiled at the two bickering. Eventually their banter would stop as they teased each other maybe then her and Luke could get back to working on a song.

~~~

When Luke walked her to her door later that night, it was different. The two talked and shared a laugh like they normally did.

“Come on,” they looked and saw a new sight, Ray at the front door, “you’ll see him tomorrow and your aunt’s eating with us tonight. Come in before she sees you laughing at air.”

She gave a final smile to the air and went to the open front door, leaning her back against it after she shut it. This was something that would take some time to adjust to, but she would. If he had to learn how to adjust to finding out the truth of her band then she could get used to him knowing. She could and she would.


End file.
